1. The Apostles underwent complete training.
Today’s Gospel is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We are 6 Sundays before the Feast of Christ the King, the end of the Liturgical Year.
The whole liturgical year is the way Holy Mother the Church explains the entire Plan of Salvation to the Catholic Church. A true Catholic must know the entire teachings of the Catholic Church as laid down during one entire liturgical Year. He must know, first, the ‘Plan of Salvation’ in general. This is required for salvation. Then he can go deeper into the truths depending on his response to grace. St. Thomas of Aquinas had gone deeper into the truths. Many of us will only be required to know the entire general plan. But it must be the complete and entire ‘Plan of Salvation’ in obedience to the Apostolic Commission of Christ to His apostles at the end of the Gospel of St. Matthew.
Christ, Himself, showed us how to go about learning the Faith. The first step in learning the Faith is taught to us during Advent. It consists in living 30 years of hidden life mastering prayer, fasting and good works. This is commonly referred to as the ‘life of repentance.’
The apostles had learned this during the Old Testament specially under St. John the Baptist. Their training was continued when Christ begun to call them one by one; starting with Peter and Andrew, James and John. That part of the training was the beginning of the Evangelical Counsels wherein they had to leave all things. That was the beginning of Faith. Faith would still be perfected during Passion Week. It will grow into Hope during Easter and rise to Charity during Pentecost.
Of course, the training in the three theological virtues overlapped.
2. Today, the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, St. John will still be committing mistakes. He was not yet perfect in Faith, Hope and Charity. After all John was being described in Chapter IX only. His Faith will still be perfected in Chapter XV in the Gospel of Mark. So we see him committing some small mistakes now. Let us, first see what happened that time. Then let us see that same event as eschatologically happening today. The coincidences which are the fulfillment of prophecies are acts of Divine Providence.
3. The Gospel saw John committing a mistake.
John saw a man using the name of Christ to expel demons. He tried to stop him because the man did not belong to the apostolic community. There are two things here; first, John saw a man expelling demons using the name of Christ. And secondly, the man did not belong to the apostolic community.
Christ tells John that the first, in which the man was expelling demons and using the name of Christ is all right. While the second, in which he did not belong to the apostolic community was not all right.
Christ explains why the first was all right; because he who expels demons in the name of Christ is doing good and is, therefore, not against Christ and the Christian community. Because he is not against Christ and the community he is, in fact, for Christ and the community. He is a true Christian. But because he is not yet part of the Christian community he has a defect. The defect is not so bad. Since he is expelling demons and have Faith in the name of Christ he will eventually be part of the Christian community.
Christ continues to enumerate those who are not against Him and the community and, therefore, are for Him and for the community. ‘Those who give you a drink of water because you belong to Christ.’
Christ described those who do good works but are not yet members of the true Christian community as ‘simple believers.’ They have Faith but not yet big enough to make them enter the Church.
4. Those who are against Christ and the Christian community.
Then Christ described those who are against Him and the Community; ‘as those who lead astray one of these simple believers.’ Those with mature Faith cannot be led astray. But simple believers can still be easily led astray and, thus, lose their souls. Christ reserves the greatest threat for them; ‘it would be better for you to have a great millstone fastened around your neck and be plunged into the sea.’ Those against Christ and the Christian communities are those who causes those with simple Faith to commit sin and lose their simple Faith. This is the sin of scandal that is highly condemned by Christ; ‘woe to you who cause scandals.’ Scandal is an act, word or omission that causes others to sin. This is direct scandal and a very grievous sin. There is, also, indirect scandal like immodest dress which is not meant to cause sin but merely to be fashionable. This can indirectly cause others to sin.
This sin is so serious Christ said; ‘if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your foot causes you to sin cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin tear it out. It is a clear command to cut oneself away from all causes of scandal. In short, if anybody causes you to sin, cut all contact and relationship with such a person, St. Thomas of Aquinas writes in his commentary to the text.
5. Now, let us see who are against Christ and against the true Christian Community and, therefore, are not for Christ. These are those who cause simple believers to lose their weak Faith through sin. Today who are these?
The one who wrote the two Motu Propio allowing divorce in the Catholic Church thus going against the Catholic Doctrine on the indissolubility of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Because they are going against the command of Christ and causing couples of weak Faith to lose their Faith, therefore, they are not for Christ. The Motu Propio will kill whatever little Faith there is in married couples.
The bishops who have sole power to grant this unlawful Catholic divorce will, themselves, will cause the lose of what ever simple Faith others have by causing scandal and causing married couples to commit sin.
The committee that will be appointed by the bishops who will recommend the destruction of the inviolable bond of marriage will likewise be guilty of scandal thus causing the weak of Faith to commit sin.
The whole world that will agree to the Catholic divorce will be guilty of scandal by consent in the sin of divorce.
And the priest who will officiate in the new adulterous wedding will be part of the sin of scandal together with the maids of honor, sponsors, ring bearer and flower girls. All are cooperator in this horrible sin of helping others commit sin..
6. What should be the reaction of true believers.
Christ said; ‘cut them off.’ By associating with them you will be contaminated. So we must avoid the author of the Motu Proprio, our bishops, our parish priest and all our friends and neighbors. Well, Christ clearly said; cut off all contact with them. Its practically being a hermit. Pope Benedict, after all was right when he said that the Church today will be a monastery of hermits.
7. What should the author of the two Motu Propio and his followers do?
Christ’s command was very clear. All of them should look for a mill stone for themselves, tie it around their neck and jump into the sea. Because that would be much better than for them to face God in His judgment seat and hear their worse punishment.
8. These Gospels are very disturbing.
Yes, if we apply the above Gospel today to our present era, almost every body will go to hell from the top man to the ring bearer and flower girl. The new Vatican bureaucracy is right. This is disturbing. It would be more comfortable for us all if we get rid of this old Catholic religion and start a new one called the Church of Compassion and Mercy where every day we can lead astray simple believers …….and then live together our eternity at the bottom of hell for being guilty of the sin of scandal. Ahhh. Christ said scandals will surely come. But let it not come from you.